Friday, July 13th News

Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Schedules Second "Cash Mob"

(Le Mars) -- The Le Mars Chamber of Commerce has announced two upcoming events. The first, is another cash mob scheduled for Tuesday, July 31st. People are asked to gather at the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce offices at 12:00 noon, and the name of a Chamber member business, outside the downtown district, will be selected. The gathering of people will then go to that business with the idea that each person will spend at least $20. Rust Western Shed was the first selected business that was "mobbed". The second event scheduled by the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce is a mystery dinner theater set for Thursday, September 6 at 6:00 p.m. The dinner theater, Who Killed one of the Miss Perky Pout contestants, will be held at the Le Mars Convention Center upper level. Tickets are $25 per person.

Sioux City Police Warn Public About Dangers Of Leaving Child in Hot Car

(Sioux City) -- Over the last week, Sioux City Police has responded to three separate incidents of children being left in cars. Fortunately, none of these incidents have resulted in serious injury, but should serve as a reminder to never leave your children unattended in a vehicle during the hot summer.

Leaving a child in a car can and does lead to tragic circumstances. Since 1998 in the United States, 537 children have died from Hyperthermia (over heating) after being left in a vehicle. Heatstroke occurs when a person's body temperature exceeds 104 degrees and the body's ability to regulate temperature is overwhelmed. A core body temperature of 107 degrees is considered lethal as cells are damaged and internal organs shut down. A child's ability to regulate their body temperature is not as efficient as an adult. Childrens body temperature rises 3 to 5 times faster than an adult. Temperatures inside a vehicle can easily reach 150 - 200 degrees and it doesn't take long. One study showed on a 80-degree day the car internal temperature went to 123 degrees in one hour. The Sioux City Police remind people to never leave a child unattended in a car, even if it is for just a few minutes.

Gaming Applications Due November 1st for Sioux City Casino

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - State gambling regulators have set a Nov. 1 deadline for accepting applications for a land-based casino in the Sioux City market.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on Thursday also agreed to make a decision on a new license by April 2013.

Chairman Jeff Lamberti expects there will be a strong interest. The board voted last month to allow other operators to submit applications after the two partners in the Sioux City riverboat casino couldn't agree on a new contract. Penn National Gaming then accepted a previous offer from its nonprofit partner, Missouri River Historical Development, to extend the current contract until April 2015.

The commission voted to limit the duration of the extension to March 2013. Penn National operates the casino. The development group jointly holds the license.

Branstad Orders Flags To Be Lowered For Skalberg

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Flags are to be lowered in Iowa to honor a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan last month.

The honor is being rendered this weekend as services are held for 25-year-old Army Sergeant James Skalberg Junior.

Skalberg was killed on June 27th when an improvised explosive device detonated near a vehicle he was in.

Governor Terry Branstad is ordering that flags under control of the state be flown at half-staff from 5 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Monday. The funeral for Skalberg is scheduled for Saturday morning in Red Oak, where his wife and son live.

Skalberg originally was from Emerson. He graduated from Nishna Valley High School in 2005 and attended Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. He joined the Army in 2007.

Iowa Supreme Court To Hear U of I Case

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Supreme Court will decide whether the University of Iowa violated the state's open records law by withholding documents about its investigation of a 2007 assault involving football players.

The court plans to rule Friday in a case that's been closely followed by the news media.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen filed the lawsuit in 2008 after the university refused to release hundreds of records related to its handling of an assault of a female athlete by former Hawkeyes Abe Satterfield and Cedric Everson.

A judge ordered the records released in 2009. The university appealed, contending they are confidential under federal student privacy law.

Both players were convicted of misdemeanor charges. An investigation faulted the university's response, which cost the school's top lawyer and dean of students their jobs.

Drought Across United States May Benefit Canadian Farmers

OTTAWA - Drought conditions across large swaths of the Midwestern United States and parts of Europe are causing concern about a food price shock later this year.

But while consumers brace to pay higher prices for everything from corn flakes to bread to beef, many Canadian farmers hope to reap rewards from historically high grain prices.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that U.S. farmers will see just a fraction of the corn they expected in the spring when the ground was seeded.

That prediction has sent the price of corn through the roof and is pushing almost all grain commodity prices higher.

Myron Krahm, vice-president of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, says if the weather holds in most corn-growing regions of Canada over the rest of this month, farmers will cash in.